1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a support devices for elevating and/or supporting different areas of the user's body.
2. Description of Related Art
In various medical, rehabilitation, and massage therapy fields, patients or other individuals must often be positioned in a particular posture so that appropriate treatment, such as massage services, can be readily provided. In this regard, various support devices have been created to provide the required support to such individuals. Presently, support devices are generally made of foam or some other resilient material, or are alternatively made of an inflatable bladder.
Conventional foam support devices only offer a single degree of height support for the patient or individual. In addition, although foam support devices that support the chest area of an individual are known, these support devices may or may not fit the individual's anatomy. Because they are fixed in height and typically are relatively thick, additional support devices are needed to provide full support of the individual utilizing such conventional foam support devices. Their size and weight also reduce the portability and utility of conventional foam support devices.
Conventional inflatable support devices on the other hand, allow the height of the support device to be adjusted. This may be attained by adjusting the amount of air used to inflate the support device. However, despite the advantages provided by the conventional inflatable support devices, these support devices are limited in their adjustability. In addition, due to their shape, conventional support devices have limited utility. Conventional support device do not offer desirable support of the chest area for patients or individuals.